Climate and airhttps://www.ymparisto.fi/en-us/genericrss/?n=26242&itemcount=50&d=0&contentlan=2&templateid=9, 80
en-USSun, 07 Jun 2020 13:26:03 GMT​​​​​​​Ismo Tiainen to continue as Director General of Administration and International Affairs at the Ministry of the EnvironmentThe Government has appointed Ismo Tiainen as the Director General of Administration and International Affairs of the Ministry of the Environment for the term 1 June 2020 to 31 May 2025. Tiainen also heads the ministry’s support unit for administration and international affairs.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/57170/26242
57170Wed, 20 May 2020 12:15:00 GMTJuhani Damski appointed as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the EnvironmentJuhani Damski has been appointed as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment. Damski’s five-year term as the Permanent Secretary starts on 1 June 2020. He comes to the Ministry of the Environment from the Finnish Meteorological Institute, where he served as Director General.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/56902/26242
56902Thu, 07 May 2020 11:15:00 GMTEnvironmental footprint method to support the assessment of climate impacts of public procurementsThe Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method developed by European Commission is used to assess the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycles. A new study by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) proposes that this method is suitable also to be used to evaluate the climate impacts of public procurements.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/56585/26242
56585Fri, 17 Apr 2020 06:22:00 GMTWorking group to draft proposals for sustainable recovery in terms of climate and natural environmentOn Wednesday 15 April, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen appointed a working group to draft proposals for recovery measures after the coronavirus crisis to respond to the climate crisis and decline in biodiversity. The group will be chaired by Director Mari Pantsar from the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and Permanent Secretary Hannele Pokka from the Ministry of the Environment.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/56573/26242
56573Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:08:00 GMTBuilding repair construction strategy aims to reduce the building stock’s emissions by 90 per cent by 2050Finland’s long-term repair construction strategy has been finalised. The strategy applies to residential and service buildings the construction of which has been completed by the beginning of 2020. This means a total of 1.4 million buildings. The aim of the strategy is to reduce the CO2 emissions of buildings by 90% from the beginning of 2020 to 2050. The strategy is part of the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which entered into force in 2018.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/55532/26242
55532Wed, 11 Mar 2020 12:42:21 GMTMinister Mikkonen: Commission Action Plan for the Circular Economy an important opening to solve the sustainability crisis – Designing durable and easy-to-repair products“The Circular Economy Action Plan of the EU published by the European Commission today is an important opening to solve the sustainability crisis. It has a strong focus on sustainable product design, which is an absolute necessity to promote the circular economy. Most of the products placed on the market in future must be designed so that they are durable and easy to repair, reuse and recycle", says Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/55521/26242
55521Wed, 11 Mar 2020 11:51:54 GMTMinister Mikkonen: Commission proposal for the European Climate Law important step towards a carbon neutral Europe; the plan to update the 2030 target must come sooner than planned“The proposal for the European Climate Law given by the Commission today is an important step towards a carbon neutral EU by 2050. The European Union must lead the way in climate change mitigation and solving the sustainability crisis. All policy measures must contribute to the achievement of carbon neutrality,” says Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/55355/26242
55355Wed, 04 Mar 2020 14:33:55 GMTFinland and 11 other Member States haste the process to tighten EU's emission reduction targetFinland and 11 other EU countries call on the European Commission to tighten the EU’s emission reduction target to 2030 as soon as possible. The Environment Ministers will discuss the climate actions of the EU at the Environment Council on 5 March.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/55322/26242
55322Tue, 03 Mar 2020 09:30:55 GMTDoctoral dissertation: Climate and health impacts of residential wood combustion in FinlandAccording to the dissertation by Mikko Savolahti, a researcher at the Finnish Environment Institute, residential wood combustion causes 200 premature deaths in Finland each year. In addition, residential combustion is a contributing factor to accelerating climate change. Savolahti will defend his dissertation at Aalto University on Friday, 6 Marchhttp://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/55276/26242
55276Fri, 28 Feb 2020 11:58:55 GMTCarbon footprint of Finnish household consumption increasing, carbon footprint of public procurement calculated for the first timeThe consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions have not decreased between years 2005 and 2015 although the territorial emissions decreased substantially The majority of consumption-based emissions are generated by household consumption. Investments and public procurement also account for significant shares of total emissions.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/55211/26242
55211Thu, 27 Feb 2020 08:11:31 GMTNew emissions calculation system for all Finnish municipalities – an average emissions reduction of 15 per cent since 2005Climate emissions have decreased in nearly all Finnish municipalities since 2005. The average decrease is 15 per cent. The reduction in municipal emissions has been driven by the decline in electricity emissions, reforms in district heating production and the construction of wind power. Emissions from oil-fired heating have dropped at a relatively similar pace in all municipalities, resulting in a significant impact at the national level. http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/54835/26242
54835Mon, 10 Feb 2020 07:16:58 GMTMinister Mikkonen to Barents Environmental Ministers’ Meeting in LuleåOn Wednesday 5 February, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen will attend the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) Ministerial Meeting on Environment in Luleå, Sweden. At the meeting, Finland will take over the Chairmanship of the Working Group on Environment (WGE), tasked with promoting environmental cooperation between the Nordic countries and Russia.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/54679/26242
54679Tue, 04 Feb 2020 14:13:53 GMTMadrid Climate Change Conference ends with disappointmentThe Madrid climate change conference ended with disappointment on Sunday afternoon. The only decision on the rules for the market mechanisms, which was the main topic, was a procedural one. This means the market mechanism rules will be discussed at the next conference in November 2020. There is now, however, a good basis for the discussions.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/53448/26242
53448Mon, 16 Dec 2019 13:35:15 GMTInnovations, latest scientific knowledge and state of the circular economy on the agenda in Helsinki, 30 September–1 OctoberThe conference European Days for Sustainable Circular Economy will be held between 30 September and 1 October 2019 in Helsinki, Finland with a view to presenting the state of the circular economy and recommendations for promoting a sustainable circular economy based on the latest research data. The conference will also present circular economy innovations and success stories.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/51697/26242
51697Tue, 24 Sep 2019 05:23:14 GMTEU environment and climate ministers: EU must speed up ambitious policy on circular economyThe second day of the informal meeting of EU environment and climate ministers focused on expanding the circular economy into new areas. The ministers discussed the solutions offered by the circular economy to mitigate climate change and halt the loss of biodiversity.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/50935/26242
50935Fri, 12 Jul 2019 10:56:43 GMTThe updated Climate diet calculator helps in reducing the carbon footprintThe renewed by the Finnish Environment Institute is even clearer than before in guiding people towards tangible actions to reduce the carbon footprint. The user interface of the calculator has been redesigned and can now be used on mobile devices, as well. Climate diet calculator (Ilmastodieetti.fi)http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/49851/26242
49851Mon, 08 Apr 2019 06:12:00 GMTMinistry of the Environment investigates the use of plastics in buildings – ARA, Senate Properties and the University of Helsinki studying how to reduce the use of plastics in their construction projectsA study by the Ministry of the Environment on the use of plastics in residential buildings and day-care centres reveals that plastics can be found in all parts of buildings. The amount of plastics in individual buildings, however, is very small when compared to the other materials. Some of these plastics would be relatively easy to recycle or replace using other solutions.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/49859/26242
49859Fri, 05 Apr 2019 06:01:00 GMTClimate Barometer 2019: Finns wish to have solutions to climate crisis at the heart of policy-makingThe Finns wish to see solutions to the climate crisis among the priority themes of the next government term and Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. Growing numbers of Finns have also changed their own behaviour to mitigate climate change. These are the conclusions to be made from a survey carried out by Kantar TNS, commissioned by the Steering Group for Central Government Climate Communications.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/49671/26242
49671Mon, 18 Mar 2019 07:32:56 GMTNordic countries agree on closer cooperation to tackle the climate crisisAt their meeting in Helsinki on Friday 25 January, the Prime Ministers and ministers responsible for climate issues of the Nordic countries decided to speed up their climate actions. The Nordic countries aim to follow the 1.5 Degree Report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC in October even more closely when deciding on their policies.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/49105/26242
49105Fri, 25 Jan 2019 13:17:28 GMTLarge EU Life project for Finland to mitigate climate changeThe European Commission has granted 9.1 million euros to Finland to help mitigate climate change. The ‘Towards Carbon Neutral Municipalities’ (CANEMURE) project, which has been approved for the Life programme, will promote practical measures to mitigate climate change over the next six years. The total budget for the project is 15.3 million euros. http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/48905/26242
48905Fri, 21 Dec 2018 14:32:00 GMTArctic climate change has global scale impacts, say the climate specialistsThe Arctic is changing rapidly as a result of global climate change. “Over the past five years, warm Arctic temperatures and large sea-ice deficits show contemporary climate states outside of previous experience. We have already lost 75% of the sea ice volume in the Arctic since 1979”, says one of the authors of a new research paper, Research Professor Martin Forsius from the Finnish Environment Institute.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/48824/26242
48824Thu, 13 Dec 2018 11:33:41 GMTFinnish automotive sector industry and the State conclude a Green DealThe Finnish automotive sector, Ministry of Transport and Communications and Ministry of the Environment concluded a voluntary Green Deal on 22 November 2018. The Green Deal for the benefit of the climate is part of the Society’s Commitment to Sustainable Development. The aim is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/48596/26242
48596Wed, 28 Nov 2018 09:08:00 GMTClimate changes require better adaptation to droughtToo hot and too dry: the summer of 2018 saw losses in arable crops in Finland and many other regions in Europe. As such weather extremes are likely to increase in the future, adapting agriculture to climate change is crucial. Important strategies include agronomic management and breeding of more tolerant crops. http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/48490/26242
48490Thu, 15 Nov 2018 13:01:16 GMTThe headquarters of the Finnish Environment Institute is moving to the Viikki campusThe headquarters of the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) is moving on 19th November 2018 from the Töölö borough of Helsinki to the University of Helsinki’s Viikki campus (street address: Latokartanonkaari 11). SYKE’s new base at Viikki is a truly modern working environment, where care and attention has been paid to environmentally sustainable solutions. http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/48441/26242
48441Fri, 09 Nov 2018 09:17:00 GMTArctic Council meeting of environment ministers ends with talks about future cooperationThe Arctic Environment Ministers’ meeting held in Rovaniemi 11-12 October ended with discussions about cooperation in addressing climate change, protecting biodiversity and preventing pollution in the Arctic region.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/48191/26242
48191Tue, 23 Oct 2018 06:30:31 GMTEarth Overshoot Day is todayToday, Wednesday, 1 August, people have used up all the resources the Earth can regenerate. It takes us only seven months to exhaust the natural resources that should last for the whole year. The biggest reasons for the overshoot are related to animal-based food production and to greenhouse gas emissions arising from transport and housing.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/47420/26242
47420Wed, 01 Aug 2018 04:57:00 GMTFinnish environmental experts available during the #Helsinki2018 SummitPresidents Trump and Putin will meet in Helsinki 16.7. The experts of Finnish Environment Institute SYKE are available for the media to give more information on black carbon, climate change and on protection of arctic environment and the Baltic Sea.<br>
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47374Wed, 11 Jul 2018 10:21:00 GMTClimate models predict changes to flows and biota of northern rivers The habitats of species in Finland's rivers will move northward as climate change causes temperatures to rise. In addition, seasonal fluctuation in the flow of rivers will become more irregular than it is now. Small headwater streams will experience greater changes in species than larger rivers, according to a study by the Finnish Environment Institute and the University of Oulu.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/46329/26242
46329Tue, 20 Mar 2018 07:34:00 GMTFinland co-founds a Powering Past Coal alliance in Bonn Climate ConferenceMinister Tiilikainen: Bill banning the use of coal for energy due next yearhttp://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/45018/26242
45018Thu, 16 Nov 2017 10:53:00 GMTGlobal cooler at risk – reducing black carbon emissions should be a priorityOver the coming weeks, climate change mitigation and the implementation of the Paris Agreement will be discussed in Bonn. In support of climate change mitigation, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) has produced a synthesis of how black carbon particles, the major constituent of soot, contribute to Arctic warming, in particular, and how these emissions can be reduced.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/44931/26242
44931Mon, 06 Nov 2017 12:58:00 GMTEnvironment Ministers to agree on the LULUCF regulationThe EU Ministers of the Environment meet in Luxembourg on Friday 13 October to discuss effort sharing in the non-ETS sectors under the 2030 climate package and the so-called LULUCF regulation.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/44766/26242
44766Thu, 12 Oct 2017 09:37:00 GMTMinister Tiilikainen to attend the first meeting of the parties to the Mercury Convention in Geneva on 29 September: “Important convention for the Arctic region”The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a recent global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. Minister for Housing, Energy and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen will attend the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Geneva, Switzerland, on 29 September. Minister Tiilikainen will address a High-Level Segment on the subject of the Arctic region. The Minamata Convention is extremely important for the Arhttp://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/44639/26242
44639Wed, 27 Sep 2017 07:07:33 GMTMontreal Protocol signed 30 years ago has grown into a success story in international environmental protection16 September marks the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. Thanks to the protocol, the ozone layer is now recovering and it is expected to be almost fully restored in about 50 to 70 years. All countries of the world have ratified the protocol.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/44512/26242
44512Fri, 15 Sep 2017 06:33:58 GMTEarth Overshoot Day is today – food contributes significantly to the environmental burdenToday, Wednesday, 2 August humanity has used up the renewable natural resources the Earth generates this year. Food production and the greenhouse gas emissions caused by transport and living are the major causes of the overshoot.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/43952/26242
43952Wed, 02 Aug 2017 04:38:15 GMTImplementation of the EU climate package and Paris Agreement on the agenda of the Environment Ministers’ meeting The EU Ministers of the Environment meet in Luxembourg on Monday 19 May. They will discuss two legislative proposals concerning sectors not covered by the Emissions Trading System (non-ETS sectors): effort-sharing among Member States with regard to the climate targets to 2030 and the role of the land use, land use change and forestry sector (LULUCF) in the climate framework.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/43644/26242
43644Fri, 16 Jun 2017 09:30:32 GMTMinister Tiilikainen: USA’s withdrawal will not derail the Paris AgreementThe U.S. Government has announced that the country will pull out of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. According to the agreement, the earliest time when the withdrawal could take place is after three years from the entry into force of the agreement, that is, in November 2019.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/43364/26242
43364Thu, 01 Jun 2017 19:48:20 GMTInternational climate change negotiations continue on 8 May in BonnThe negotiations under the UN Convention on Climate Change continue in Bonn on 8–18 May 2017. The main focus of the meeting of the senior officials is on accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/43259/26242
43259Mon, 29 May 2017 11:44:49 GMTHINKU municipalities reduce climate emissions by nearly a third in eight yearsEmissions from municipalities in the Carbon Neutral Municipalities (HINKU) network declined by an average 29 percent in 2007 - 2015. The greatest decreases in emissions were in the municipality of Ii (50%), Kitee and Lieksa (36%) as well as Lohja and Rauma (35%). In other HINKU municipalities the average reduction in emissions was 23 percent.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/42539/26242
42539Wed, 29 Mar 2017 06:31:00 GMTMinister Tiilikainen: “Phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons an important step in curbing climate change”The international agreement reached in October 2016 on limiting the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is moving towards national implementation.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/42536/26242
42536Fri, 24 Mar 2017 10:28:29 GMTEU Environment Ministers agree on the reform of the Emission Trading DirectiveOn 28 February the EU Ministers of the Environment adopted a negotiation position on the revision of the emission trading system (ETS). Finland’s representative at the meeting was Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen, who spoke in favour of the proposal.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/42318/26242
42318Thu, 02 Mar 2017 11:28:01 GMTMinister Tiilikainen: Finland to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2045 Finland has every opportunity to serve as a model country in climate and energy policy, says Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen. Making use of the available and new solutions will also boost investments and employment.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/42218/26242
42218Tue, 21 Feb 2017 10:01:39 GMTWeather and climate risks should be managed efficientlyMaintaining security and the central functions vital to society requires active preparation for extreme weather conditions. Preparation should take into account that climate change may change extreme weather conditions, their frequency and severity. ELASTINEN research project produced an overall assessment of the management of weather and climate risks and evaluated ways to promote management of these risks in various sectors.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/41336/26242
41336Fri, 02 Dec 2016 11:08:18 GMTNew mapping tool shows where the elderly may be vulnerable to climate change In order to illustrate changes in the risks of climate change for the elderly in different parts of Finland, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) has developed an interactive vulnerability mapping tool in collaboration with the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). Photo: Knud Nielsen/Colorboxhttp://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/40519/26242
40519Thu, 01 Dec 2016 07:59:00 GMTFinland ratifies the Paris AgreementFinland is now among the countries which have ratified the Paris climate change agreement as our ratification document was delivered to the UN Secretary-General in New York on Monday 14 November. This was preceded by the ratification of the agreement at the Presidential Session on Friday 11 November.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/40893/26242
40893Mon, 14 Nov 2016 21:33:12 GMTParis Climate Change Agreement enters into force today – Marrakesh Climate Change Conference starts on MondayThe UN climate change negotiations continue in Marrakesh, Morocco on 7-18 November. The nations of the world meet in Marrakesh in a situation where the Paris Climate Change Agreement has just entered into force.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/40815/26242
40815Fri, 04 Nov 2016 14:48:00 GMTFinnish delegation headed by Minister Tiilikainen to attend the UN Conference on Sustainable Urban Development Finland participates in the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development in Quito, Ecuador on 17–20 October 2016. At the Conference the states will agree on a New Urban Agenda, setting the global standards for sustainable urban development for the next 20 years. The Conference is one of the main UN events this year, with more than 40 000 participants expected to attend. http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/40606/26242
40606Wed, 12 Oct 2016 06:19:26 GMTEU Ministers agree to fast-track ratification of Paris agreementEU Ministers for the Environment agreed to speed up the process for the ratification of Paris agreement during an extraordinary Environment Council meeting on 30 September 2016 in Brussels. Agreement to fast-track the EU’s ratification of the global climate deal was met with a round of applause at the Council.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/40538/26242
40538Wed, 05 Oct 2016 07:38:00 GMTSomething new on the Ministry of the Environment Instagram accountThis week the ministry's Instagram account will be taken over by Janni Laakso, who will post her own photos on the account for the whole week. This visit by Laakso, the winner of the 2015 #munympäristö ("my environment") photo contest, is a new addition to the ministry's communication.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/40009/26242
40009Fri, 12 Aug 2016 07:18:00 GMTFinland signed the Paris Climate Agreement – New York gave strong mandate to its implementationMinister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen signed the Paris Climate Agreement on behalf of Finland at the UN Headquarters on 22 April. A total of 170 countries signed this historical agreement in a high-level ceremony organised by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/39090/26242
39090Wed, 04 May 2016 09:40:09 GMTThe climate challenge requires significant new innovations for Finnish wood useAn international agreement was made in Paris to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decades. However, a recent study shows that the current Finnish wood bioeconomy fails to meet this challenge.http://www.ymparisto.fi/en-US/content/39041/26242
39041Wed, 27 Apr 2016 11:55:18 GMT